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Topic: Done with Rads starting Arimidex, Aromasin, or Femara.

Forum:
Hormonal Therapy - Before, During and After —

Risks and benefits, side effects, and costs of anti-estrogen medications. Note: Please remember that there are good experiences and bad with ALL treatments and this is a safe place to share YOUR experience, not to be influenced or influence others.

I'm starting this thread as I'm looking at my Armidex bottle looking back at me. Having just completed rads, I'm about to start taking these lil' white pills in a about a week. I thought this would be a good place to start another support group for fellow newbies like me. All are welcome to chime in no matter where you are on this hormone suppressant trek.

What a fascinating article about Dr. Brodie - thank you for posting the link, klt5817. Don't you wish you could have met her? Although I'm sure I would have been tongue-tied around such a brilliant scientist. One of the many unsung heroes fighting the fight for all us survivor sisters!

Thanks for starting this thread. I finished 5 weeks of radiation and have just started Femara, actually the generic, on June 15. My MO said I could wait a couple of weeks then start so I did. I had terrible radiation fatigue starting at about 21/2 weeks into radiation and wanted to see if this improved before starting the Femara, and it did. So I have only been on it a few days, so far so good. Looking forward to feeling like my old self. Time will tell I am sure

Marsue, I'll keep my fingers crossed and prayers said for no SEs on femara.

Bravepoint, yay! No SEs! My fingers are crossed and prayers said that the SEs stay away from you also!

It's been 4 weeks for me on Arimidex (eneric brand) and no SEs. I've been really tired the past day or so but I'm hoping it's from over doing it this weekend and not from Arimidex. We'll see I guess, my MO says that feeing very tired is the #1 SE on the generic Arimidex. I hope not as I just got to feeling pretty much back to normal again since I finished radiation.

Sending good wishes to all to continue with no or minimal SEs. Tomorrow is 6 weeks for me. I have aches and pains but I had those before taking Arimidex and I'm exercising a lot. I'm attributing it to that. Some days I'm more tired than others but that's typical for me too. I can live with this. Hugs to all!

Hello, I started my Anastrozole prior to radiation. I started rads in December 2016 until 01/31/17. It was confusing to identify the SE of rads from AI but I pretty much can tell. AI gives soreness on the hands and feet, but now several months later, I started to have soreness on the toes, did not happen before. It developed calluses and my bunion hurt. Also, does anyone stay the same weight pre and post treatment. I always stayed at 120 lbs then now it goes to 115 checked at home. I started to worry about weight loss as sign of recurrence. Also I have hip aches which I know come from AI, but sometimes I do house work and sleeping on an old bed my back also aches. I stretched and got better and didn't require pain meds. What do you all think?

Houston - I have progressively lost weight since surgery on 12/21/16. Needed to drop some lbs, anyway. Have been eating much healthier, lots of lean protein, fruits & vegs and trying to exercise more. The RO, MO and my PCP have only had positive things to say about weight loss. Having some aches & pains, but had some before AIs as well. Trying to keep aches & pains at bay with various supplements (Glucosamine/Chondroitin/MSM and Omega Oil, Calcium with Vit D and Turmeric/Curcumin). Also, using homeopathic remedies from time to time (Boiron brand Arnica tablets and Arnica cream).

Butterfly, I tried Claritin once for pain but it dried my sinuses out as I didn't have allergies. I had some of the worst headaches ever but we are all different and respond differently to different things.

I've noticed my hands get tired and achy and my knees complain more when riding the lawnmower for hours at a time like I used to do. I think it's just from overdoing it with my chores. I just want my life back to as near normal as I can get it I guess. No real complaints tho. No hot flashes or night sweats which was what I feared the most.

Hello everyone, I went to see new MO last week. The former one resigned. She just talk, do exam, and when I ask about what kind of test scan I need for recurrence monitoring. She said just come every 3 months, she will exam, if they need to do something it will be symptoms driven. She doesn't encourage self exam of left chest, which I think is odd. I asked about PETSCAN, she said that's only when it spreads. But I heard some people do imaging when they completed treatment. Does anyone have same?

hello, I too have the bottle sitting on my kitchen table. I need to start but just haven't. I was enjoying just not worrying what would hit me next. Still don't know if to take in morning or night. Maybe I'll take at noon.

I haven't had the bone scan yet either.

My MO says very little and I had to call for appt to get my prescription for anastrozole

Positive2strong: I was so anxious about starting the AI. Didn't want to feel crappy just as I was starting to feel better. I've been on it 20 days...so far so good! Now I wish I didn't procrastinate...

Positive - mine is sitting in the desk drawer too. I may try it sometime but my MO was not being pushy, she even said wait until Herceptin is done if I want. My problem is partly mental, getting past putting a pill in my mouth that says every time "Hi, you have cancer". Good luck there, everyone is an individual.

My MO told me the same thing, see him every 3 months and we'll do scans when symptoms arise. I've been taking my Arimidex every night as it tends to make me sleepy. I've been using it for 41 days and so far sleepiness is the only thing I've noticed and I take meds to help me sleep so it's a win-win for me!

I haven't had a bone test done yet either but I'll definitely ask my MO about that on my next visit. I'm not sure how but I've managed to forget I have BC at times, until I walk into something and my TEs make me bounce off of things. My port is out so I don't have that pain to remind me, I have about 2" of hair so far and I like the way it looks so I may just keep it this short. I added my AI to my nightly pill box and I don't even realize I'm taking that pill every night. It's just become part of my new regular routine. I'm back to gardening, doing pool maintenance and mowing 4 acres of yard that I feel normal again.

I took Premarin for over a year and ended up with estrogen driven BC so I'm looking into a lawsuit with the manufacturers of Premarin with a legal consultation. We'll see if I even qualify for the lawsuit but if you ask me Premarin estrogen vaginal cream = estrogen fed BC? Who knows?

Also was anxious, fearful, skeptical of the AIs. Started in early April 2017 & thus far minimal SEs. Take it at night. No hot flashes, no insomnia, no issues with bones/joints thus far. Am eating much better than before BC diagnosis, so have managed to lose weight and keep it off. Doing more exercise than before as well, but not as much as I should. RO and MO both have stressed the importance of exercise as part of the "preventative" plan.

Checking in with all of you. Been on Arimidex for a little over 60 days about 9 weeks. Aches and pains are manageable so far and I'm thinking it's more from exercising regularly. Especially those yoga stretches, I'm actually sleeping better which is an unexpected bonus. No additional SEs so keeping my fingers crossed. Frankly, I could blame a whole lot of "SEs" on this med if I wanted to. But I can honestly say I experienced at one time or another a variety of potential SEs that come and go before even starting the Arimidex. So I'm taking it one day at a time. Love and hugs to all,

So good to hear, Butterfly. I just got my prescription for Arimidex (Teva brand anastrozole) today. I'm going to wait until Monday to start taking it as I'll be away at my daughter's for the weekend.

Are you taking your pill at night? I've heard it makes some women sleepy while others seem to be having insomnia. I'm hoping it will make me sleep better!

I'm taking strength training classes twice a week and mat Pilates once a week. Next week I'll be adding Zumba twice a week - fitness classes Monday through Friday. The classes have made me stronger and I'm hoping will help with aches and pains.

Good morning ladies! It sounds like we all are doing well so far. My PCP told me the other day that if I've had no SEs by this time I probably won't. I'm hoping he's right!

We had an algy bloom and we have lost a lot of fish. I'm so sad! Most of our paddle fish were doing great! They were the most interesting fish we have. The catfish don't seem to be having any problems at this time. I'm praying they are still swimming when it gets light enough to see the pond. Boogers!!

Tapper - sounds like you're doing well and got it together with an exercise routine. Way to go! I take name brand Arimidex in the morning. Only because I have to take thyroid and BP meds. It seems to work for me.